


The Way Home

by TheDarkShadow



Series: Interlaced [1]
Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Family Feels, Gen, M/M, child!Kili
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2017-11-26 08:45:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkShadow/pseuds/TheDarkShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Hiatus] Bilbo finds Kili as a child during a storm and takes him in. He ends up caring for the boy as his own son and raises him in the shire. What happens when one day his worst fears come into reality as Gandalf arrives along with a very real possibility that he's going to lose his son forever?</p><p>Eventual and slow progress towards Thorin/Kili</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blown Away

**Author's Note:**

> As 'The Hobbit' wormed its way to my list of favorite literary works and movies, I started to think of a few 'what if' scenarios. The thought of Kili growing up in Bilbo's care appealed to me the most so I thought I'd give it a whirl. 
> 
> Will be cross-posted in ff.net under the author name: coffee-dono.

It was a storm. One of the strongest storms that year, in fact. All of the Hobbits in Hobbiton had made do with boarding up the windows in hopes it would keep their homes dry until the storm has passed. No one expected it coming. In fact, all of them were enjoying the slight showers that afternoon without really knowing it would become a full blown nightmare by the time the sun had already set in the distance. By the time the Storm had started sweeping over the grass of the Shire, everyone was sure that no respectable hobbit would even dare to stay outside in that storm.  

And just like all the Hobbits that thought so, Bilbo Baggins believed that he should also not be outside in this ungodly storm. He had made the mistake of letting his thoughts run away while he had been on his walk. Much to his dismay, before he could even realize that he had been too far now, it had started to rain. And so he made his way back, hurrying as he did so but was forced to pause when he heard something heading towards him. They sounded like a pack of wolves, if he would only base it on the howl he had heard, and it terrified him. The Baggins side of him froze over causing his more Tookish side to jump to his feet and run away before lunging into a small covering by some roots that he could easily slip into.  

He listened as they passed him and waited until all he could hear was the pouring rain before he had decided that it was safe to come out. It was still raining heavily and Bilbo hoped that the wolves -or whatever they were- had really gone for he couldn't and wouldn't be able to spot them before they would him.  

Creeping out of the little hole in the ground, he cautiously walked out to the road and took one look around before taking one step forward.  

Then he halted again as he heard something else. This time, it wasn't the howl that he had feared for but instead it sounded like something crying...a child, really. At this Bilbo frowned. What kind of hobbit would have left their child unattended in this storm? He looked around and tried to find where it was coming from and finally found a small outcrop of rock across him.  

"Hello?" he asked cautiously as he reached the rock. He looked around and soon spotted the source of the crying. It was a little boy with dark medium length hair. He was fairly small, smaller than what Hobbits deemed the age to be left alone by their parents. It broke Bilbo's heart.  

"Hush now," he said before reaching over and attempted to take the boy. Really, who would leave their little boy like this out in the rain? He planned to have words with this boys parents once he had found them. Yes sir, they would hear quite the scolding that would even put the Tooks cowering into the nearest corner.  

"No! D-don't hurt me!"  

Bilbo blinked, what in the name of all things homely would make this boy think that he would be hurt. Then he paused and remembered that not moments ago there were wolves coming around them. Could this child have...no...thats impossible. Wolves don't steal children... 

He moved closer and knelt down. "It's alright, I won't hurt you," he tried to reassure the boy who only curled up further back into the rock. There was very little lighting available to him but when a clap of lightning appeared in the sky he saw the injuries that the boy had. He was bleeding...badly. 

Bilbo needed to get this boy out of the rain.  

With haste, he moved forward and tried to ignore the child's heartbreaking cry. Pulling the boy into his arms, he moved back from the rocks and looked around. "It's going to be alright," he told him in an attempt to soothe the frightened child. "No one's going to hurt you anymore," he added before turning and running all the way back to the shire. 

In the distance, he swore he heard a howl and an angry yell thrown into the wind.  

\------- 

The moment that Bilbo arrived at Bag End the first thing that he had done was to remove the boys clothes to see the extent of the damages on his little body. If his heart had broke when he had found the boy now it had absolutely shattered. The boy's body was covered in fresh cuts and bruises, not to mention that his little ankle was swelling, no doubt a sprain at the least or a break at the most. He couldn't call a healer because of the storm; he would have to make do with what was available to him. Setting the boy down on his own bed, he walked off to get some supplies.  

Hurriedly, he went to his sink and got some clean water and a washcloth; he needed to clean those wounds. As he did this, he also grabbed the herbs that he had placed aside. He had been hoping he wouldn't be needing them but was inwardly glad that he had put some in his shelves. His Took side gave him a pat on the back.  

Heading back to the boy that he had placed on the bed, he slowly peeled away the blanket and inwardly winced when he saw the wounds again. The boy whimpered and looked down at him and Bilbo tried to smile. "This will sting a bit." The boy nodded and bit down on his little lip and Bilbo genuinely smiled. This boy was brave.  

He then set to work on the various wounds and cuts on the boy and as soon as he was done, the little one was shivering. A fever had set in and Bilbo wasn't all too surprised when he had noticed this. Silently, he placed the herbs and the bandages aside and enveloped the boy in the blanket he had been placed on before walking over to the drawers to pull out a thicker one.  

"Go to sleep, little one, you'll feel better in the morning," he coaxed. The boy looked at him hesitantly before nodding and closing his eyes.  

"That's a good boy," he said with a smile before slipping in beside the dark haired youth and pulled him close. It was only then did he realize how tired he was as his eyes slowly drifted closed, his mind acquiring peace as he listened to the breathing of the little one in his arms. 

\--------

By the time the little boy was well enough to get out of bed, Bilbo had learned a few things about him.  

One was the fact that the boy was not a Hobbit as he had originally thought. The boy, however, was pretty small and only when the boy could walk around without getting sick did he find out that he was in fact, a dwarf. That was all thanks to the healer that had thankfully agreed to look at the boy just to make sure that everything was fine. The second thing that Bilbo learned was the fact that the boy did not know where he had come from....at all. Bilbo blamed it on the fact that the boy had been sporting a wounded head when Bilbo had found him and he supposed that a concussion could be blamed for the memory loss of the youngling. Nonetheless, he could talk, walk and eat. That was definitely all that Bilbo could ask for. Perhaps his memory will come back in time.  

The third and last thing that Bilbo had discovered once the boy was well enough was the fact that his name was 'Kili'. This discovery was due to the fact that he had found a small cloth with the embroidered name on the side among the the little one's tattered clothes. He asked the boy about it but he really didn't know much.   

\-------

Undeterred by the fact that Kili could not remember anything, Bilbo thought it best to look for whoever Kili's parents were. After all, no parent in their right mind wouldn't be looking for a boy this young and small. The moment he had gotten wind that some merchants were nearby, he had set off to ask if there had been any news of anyone losing their child. When they answered that no, they had heard nothing about a missing boy, Bilbo merely thanked them and had asked them to come to him if they heard of anything of the sort.  

Somewhat used to strange requests, the merchants merely gave him words of agreement before going on their way.  

\-------- 

Days passed and soon, Bilbo learned that Dwarf children were not really different from Hobbit children. Despite his foot making him limp when he walked long distances (in this case, anywhere past the bedroom he sleeps in), Kili loved getting into the smallest nook and crannies that he could find causing Bilbo to half want to tear his hair out and half take and cuddle the boy for all that he was worth. Kili also had a penchant for getting dirty much faster than Bilbo would like that would always lead to Bilbo lecturing the dark haired boy that it wasn't how respectable hobbits should behave.  

Kili only giggled at that but as time passed by even more, the habits and culture of hobbits eventually started to rub off on him. Sometimes, he would run out and play with the other children without anything to cover his feet, causing him to get a few knicks and cuts on his soles whenever he came back. Because of this, Bilbo had bought him shoes that were easy to slip on. No son of his will be getting necessary nicks and bruises for as long he is able to do something about it. 

**_Son_.**

The word haunted Bilbo as he kept reminding himself that Kili was not his son and that one day someone would come and pick him up from Bag End, take him home and Bilbo will never see him again. Kili wasn't his son...not at all. 

That changed, however, one day....just one day until it had been one year since he had found Kili in the storm. The boy had come home from a day with supposedly playing with the neighbors children, with tears in his eyes. Kili had ran straight into Bilbo who was making dinner and Bilbo was flustered and had wondered what had happened to cause the usually bright and happy child into a ball of tears. Bilbo's mind took him back to the day he had found Kili and was reminded that this was exactly how Kili had cried then.  

This was how the boy cried when he was hurt....and Bilbo swore that he wanted to throttle someone in a very un-hobbit like manner.  

"Kili, what happened?" he asked softly as he gathered the crying mess of a boy in his arms.  

What Kili said next broke his heart just like it did all those years ago. Kili had said he had overheard the merchant adults talking that he didn't belong, on how he was nothing but a - _Bilbo's eyes narrowed at the term. Never in his years of living in the Shire did he hear something that foul-._  Kili was distraught at this at being called such a thing, at being said that he didn't have a family to belong to. Most of all, he cried harder when he told Bilbo that the men had said that he would be given away the moment someone came to claim him as theirs even if they weren't a dwarf.  

Sighing heavily, he took the boy to his room, rubbing his back comfortingly as he did so. While he never denied Kili the knowledge of his true heritage of being a dwarf, he had - _now he guiltily accepts it-_  never really assured him either that he wasn't bothered by it. Surely all this was somehow his fault one way or another.  

At this time, both his sides as a Baggins and as a Took reared their heads at him and scolded him. He had to agree that he deserved it, but he was going to amend it too.  

Kili was his as much as any children belonged to their parents. No one had the right to say otherwise.  

So the next day, Bilbo made a show of telling those merchants that if they spoke ill of his  ** _son_  **again, he will personally make sure that they will not return to the Shire in a way they are welcomed as they are now.  

He thought the whole Shire congratulated him that day. This one was one of the reasons that they all knew that he was quite the respectable Hobbit. After all, no parent would stand for having their children spoken ill to. No matter that Kili wasn't a hobbit....in the eyes of everyone in Hobbiton, he might as well have been.  

When Kili started calling him  _'Father'_  the next day, Bilbo swore his heart swelled with pride and a few tears had made his way down his cheeks.  

Yes, Kili was his son. Definitely his son. He wasn't going to give him up to anybody. Not anymore. They had a year to look for him, and that in Bilbo's opinion is more than enough time to look for a little boy. He'll be damned before they take Kili away from him.  

He then vowed to himself that he would never let anyone hurt Kili, the same way he had promised the boy the same thing one year ago.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is a Bonus chapter courtesy of readers' responses/requests.


	2. Growing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter on Bilbo and Kili's lives as Kili learns how it is growing up with Hobbits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted because of the comments and reviews that said that they had wanted to see more of child!Kili
> 
> I made it a little segway for the next chapter. I thought it would be a nice piece that would give more background on the relationship between Bilbo and Kili.

It was a fine day and Kili had finally managed to walk around without tripping so much meaning that Bilbo was yet to bring out the herbs that he had been using every single day now. Kids were such a handful for sure but the Hobbit found himself not minding at all. Yes, he would reprimand Kili and tell him to be careful but inwardly he was just happy that the boy was now up and about.  

Bilbo had also gotten him new shoes to use as his old and first pair had become tattered and ripped. Then again it was only natural since Kili seemed to be an endless bundle of energy as long as the sun was up in the sky and gracing them all with warmth. Bilbo swore he would say that he got it from the Tooks if they were only blood related. Most days, the others Hobbits also forget that they weren't as they watched Kili roll around the hills with the other children and get his coat all sticky and dirty.  

Chuckling at the thought of Kili rolling over a mud puddle again, Bilbo walked over to his pantry and remembered that he had some matters to attend to...mainly, going to the market.  

Yes, it definitely was market day because it was about time to replenish their food supply as Kili had quite the appetite ever since his little body had fully recovered from all the wounds, scars and other injuries he had attained that night all those months ago. While Bilbo still had no idea how Kili had gotten most of those wounds, his Baggins side said it would be best to just give it more time. There was no need for Kili to remember such things especially now as he quite happily climbed up the empty shelf of spices. 

_'Shelf of sp----'_  

His Baggins side then froze and his Tookish side sniggered.  

"KILI!" he exclaimed as he rushed over to the shelf where the small dwarf was currently sitting on the very top.  

"Look Father, I'm high up!" Kili said as he happily giggled.  

"Yes, I know but it would very much be safer down here," Bilbo said as he tried to reach up for the boy who merely moved out of the way, giggling as he did. "Kili, come down from there. I don't want you falling and hitting your head!"  

"But it's fun!" the child argued with a carefree smile.  

His Tookish side agreed at this. Climbing things is always fun, in fact Bilbo had found himself climbing high trees when he was young making his father worry just like he had been doing now.  

...Ah, that was it, his Baggins side said, Fate is taking revenge for his poor father.  

"Kili, get down from here or else you will not get any dessert," he warned as he put his hands on his hips. Kili stopped moving when he heard that. Ah, that seemed to work. Let it be not said that despite Kili being a dwarf that he did not have any appetite for sweets as most children of the Shire did. No sir, Kili had an appetite with sweets that would put even the Sackville-Bagginses to shame. The little boy would scarf it down quickly and end up bouncing around the walls until he - _as well as his Father because who else would run around after him to make sure nothing happened?-_  was exhausted.  

Kili looked at him with a shocked expression before slowly - _and carefully, Bilbo stressed_ \- coming down from the shelf. He then rushed up and hugged Bilbo by the waist and looking at him with an expression that highly mirrored a small pup. Inwardly, he crumbled at the sight like he did many times when Kili had used it whenever he knew he would get a scolding. But Bilbo knew that he had to stay firm.  

His Tookish side nodded at him in approval, the Baggins side too.  

Then the Tookish side decided that five seconds of being firm was enough. His Baggins side fell down comically.  

Breaking into a smile, Bilbo chuckled and picked the boy up causing Kili to squeal in delight. "Alright you little rascal, get your shoes and we're going to the market," he told him before putting Kili back down. 

"I can come?!" Kili asked excitedly as he had never gone with Bilbo to the Market before. Bilbo merely nodded and watched as the boy ran off to his room.    

Another chuckle escaped his lips at this as he shook his head. Handful as he is, Bilbo loved him. Whenever Kili smiles his heart seems to swell in pride and love while whenever Kili cries his heart breaks and his Tookish side is calling out for blood. 

He loved being a parent.  

* * *

Bilbo laughed as Kili's face expressed disgust as he placed some greens in their basket. Kili had always avoided anything that wasn't meat and while it didn't really show any problems with his health, the Hobbit had decided he should try making the child eat them anyway. After all, a few greens wouldn't hurt.  

"Kili," he said in warning as he saw the little boy getting the cabbages out of the basket and placing them back on the stall, causing the other Hobbits around them to chuckle as well. Bilbo had heard that Dwarves preferred meat but this was getting ridiculous. He then raised a brow when Kili merely smiled sheepishly and placed his hands behind him. Honestly, this boy... 

His Tookish side, however, was very amused with how the boy was acting. And that was when it hit him. Perhaps Kili would like to meet the Tooks. It's a sure recipe for destruction of whatever home they will be visiting but it couldn't be that bad. Making up his mind and nodding, Bilbo took back the cabbages in his basket and went off to finish his market trip. All the while making sure that Kili won't get rid of the greens again.  

* * *

It only took him two days to announce that he would take Kili to meet their relatives through his mother side. While yes, he carries the last name Baggins, he still has every right to visit his other family. After all, they're more lively than the Bagginses and he wasn't afraid that he'd lose whatever little he would bring over whenever he went to the Tooks.  

But first, of course, he had a serious matter to attend to.  

"Kili...." he said in a reprimanding tone as he crossed his arms watching as the boy merely smiled at him with  _that_  smile. That little smile that he had every time he did something wrong but would not admit to it. That little smile when Kili was so sure that there was no evidence in whatever he had done wrong.  

Only this time, there was.  

"Kili, you're covered in mud." 

"No I'm not," Kili said quickly, smile still in place.  

"Kili..." 

"Father..." Kili said in the tone that Bilbo was currently using as he also crossed his arms and mirrored the stern look on Bilbo's face.  

Bilbo inwardly sighed. This was going to take a while.  

* * *

 

Eventually, - _with a lot of chasing, coaxing and eventual light threatening-_  Kili gave in and had allowed Bilbo to give him a bath. His Tookish side wanted to praise the boy, really but his Baggins side told him that would be a bad parenting move. Nonetheless, Bilbo managed to get them back on their schedule and headed to their little gathering.  

The Tooks immediately took a liking to Kili as the boy did the same, immediately running off with the children of the house while Bilbo stayed with the older ones to talk about how he had come across the boy and praised him for his incredible stories of actually managing to knock some sense of responsibility into the boy....well, he could have exaggerated on that part but he had a few boasting rights, didn't he? After all, a year was a lot of time to work on especially with a little dwarf that had no memories of things and had to be taught of everything from scratch.  

He smiled at the thought that even if Kili didn't come to him as a babe, he was still young enough to be nurtured and Bilbo swore that these would be the years that he would never forget.  

"Goodness, they brought their toy swords out," his cousin Sigismond said as he looked out the window. Bilbo blinked and stood up from his chair and saw that it had been true. Kili, holding a wooden sword just like his cousins - _well, they consider Kili their cousin so Bilbo might as well refer to them as that-._  Cheerful laughter was heard from the children as they told each other tales of Elves and Men. This went on until afternoon when the children managed to settle down and have some lunch while continuously telling each other of more tales.  

"I have a bow!" Ferdinand told Kili happily, as he waved his hand. "I play with it a lot of times, I'm going to show it to you later!" he added with a nod of his head. Bilbo saw Kili beam in joy at this as he nodded quickly.  

Bilbo raised a brow at this. It would be very interesting to see Kili hold a bow because as far as his knowledge goes, dwavers usually don't like the sport of Elves. Then again, Kili could not be considered a usual dwarf. Bilbo would even say that he was more hobbit-like in curiosity. This made him more proud.  

After lunch and a bit of rest, the children were off once again, causing the adults to merely shake their heads in amusement. Not long after, Bilbo knew it was time to go home and had called a very reluctant Kili to say goodbye to his cousins and playmates. With promises that they would visit again, Bilbo and Kili headed back to Bag End.  

"Kili? What is that in your hand?" 

"A bow. Ferdinand said I could have it," the child said happily. His Baggins side immediately told him to start placing the pottery down. Despite this, Bilbo thought that it was a good start with everything and this had been a really good day. If the Tooks had accepted and bonded with Kili quite easily then there is absolutely no reason for the Bagginses to not do the same. That's right, they would meet Kili and accept him even if he would have to bring out the wooden spoon.  

"Kili, what do you say that we visit the Baggins side of the family next time?"  

"....Boggins side?" Kili asked in confusion.  

Bilbo abruptly stopped walking and stared at the boy......he swore he never heard his Tookish side laugh that loud.  

* * *

 

"Alright, Kili," Bilbo started just a few days before they were due to meet with the Bagginses. It didn't take long since they lived relatively closer to Bag End but that meant he had to get everything ready by then. "Say it with me:  ** _Baggins_.** "

"Boggins," Kili repeated, his face furrowed in childish confusion and frustration. 

"BAH-GINS" Bilbo tried again, trying to emphasize the first syllable.  

"Boggins...." Kili repeated awkwardly.

"BAH-GINS"

".....Boggins?"

"Bah....baaaaah gins."

".....Boggins!"

He wondered if it was too late to retract his intention of visiting.

* * *

  
More days passed and much to Bilbo's - _and of course his now frustrated Baggins side that the Tookish side merely laughed at-_  dismay, Kili still hadn't gotten how to pronounce his last name decently. Bilbo couldn't believe it at first, after all, this was the name that Kili should know by heart since he had inherited it the moment Bilbo made a claim that the boy was his.  

Sighing heavily, he ended up conceding that the proper pronunciation of the last name would die with him and Kili would forever call himself 'Boggins' because of that stubborn accent that he couldn't quite shake despite having lived in the Shire for more than a year now. As they approached the house they were visiting, Bilbo felt dread. There by the garden was his uncle, Bingo and his cousin Olo who had apparently been visiting that day as well.  

"Bilbo!" Olo said with a merry little wave that Bilbo nervously returned before placing a hand on Kili's shoulder as they moved forward.  

Bingo, with his stern gaze, walked over as they came forward before looking at the little boy. "Now, who is this?" he asked, voice softer than what his face was showing.  

"Hello," Kili started, his usual smile on his face.

Bilbo inwardly groaned. Yes, this is how he dies. Because his son could not say his last name properly. He will be humiliated, thrown out and throttled...all because Kili couldn't---

"It's nice to meet you Uncle Baggins, I'm Kili~" the boy said without a second thought as he didn't know the name of this supposed uncle that greeted him. And to mispronounce the last name, ah Bilbo was so mortified----  _-Wait a minute....did Kili just....-_  

Bilbo then proceeded to stare at Kili as if he grew two heads. His Baggins side fainted and his Tookish side proceeded to laugh once again.  

* * *

More years passed since that day and as they did, things started to change. Kili was growing up and when Bilbo said up he meant  _up._  It was ridiculous really, how Kili just went on growing and soon he was taller than most of the children that were supposedly his age. That was when Bilbo was painfully reminded that Kili  _-no matter how much he behaved the part-_  was not a hobbit. But, like the years before that, it didn't really matter as Kili seemed to have taken advantage of his height to help Bilbo around the house even more.  

"Kili, I'm going out to get some mushrooms, you keep your arrows from my pottery!" Bilbo called out one day as he put on his coat.  

Kili, who was merely in the other room, stuck his head out from the door and grinned. "Can I come?" he asked happily. "I finished reading the book on the mushrooms and there are some I want to use later for.....things," he finished. Bilbo rolled his eyes. Kili and his  _things_. The last time he had said that, Bilbo found him admiring a few arrows that Rangers - _who were visiting the Shire-_  had given him along with a Bow. Kili had become quite fond of archery ever since his cousin Ferdinand had given him his first one, he had practiced almost every day and was now pretty adept with it.  

While Bilbo was proud of this, he couldn't help but mourn over the pots and plates that had sacrificed their lives for Kili's craft. 

"If I say no you'd follow anyway. Get your coat, then," Bilbo conceded and Kili happily followed his instructions without wasting any time. Honestly, as long as he likes what they would be doing he moves faster than lightning. Otherwise, he'd be slower than a snail.  

....teenagers. 

* * *

 

They walked into the forest and kept their gazes on the ground, stopping here and there so they could pick up the mushrooms that they needed. On a few occasions, Bilbo had to reprimand Kili and pull him by the ear as the the teen would reach up to attempt to pluck something poisonous. - _Read the book, my foot. I bet you only skimmed it,-_  Bilbo thought as they continued on.  

"Father, it's getting dark. Maybe we should hurry?" Kili suggested as he looked skywards. While it wasn't near nightfall, yet the sky had started to darken. Perhaps there was another unexpected rainfall coming.  

"Just one more on our list and we'll go home," Bilbo said as he stubbornly looked around for that last mushroom. As he did this, a few drops of rain started to fall.  

"Father I really think--" 

"Just a moment Kili. I think I saw it near--ah here it is," Bilbo said with a flourish as he plucked it from the ground. "See, that was all there is to it. Patience is definitely a virtue. Now we can go home before this rain gets--" 

He then froze as he heard a sound that sent shivers down his spine. He looked at Kili and immediately his mind went back to his past when he had first found the boy.  

It was a wolf howl. The same one he had heard back then.  

"Father?" Kili asked, nervous at how Bilbo had suddenly gone pale.  

"Run!" Bilbo said before grabbing Kili by the wrist and ran as fast as he could towards the Shire.  

A growl, thunder and the sound of padded feet on the soil was heard and instantly, Bilbo found himself a few strides away from what seemed to be the strangest Wolf he had seen. He was frozen in place. His Baggins side promptly dove under a rock while his Tookish side tried very hard to slap him into reality again.  

The sound of the wolf suddenly howling in pain brought him back to his senses. He looked to his side and found Kili poised after releasing his arrow. "Kili!" he hissed before making off again. Much to his horror, he heard bounding just behind them. The wolf was in pursuit and he knew that it would catch them soon. That was until he felt himself being pushed and stumbled into a ditch.  

Perhaps it was fate or sheer dumb luck as he found the sounds of bounding heading away from him. He let out a sigh of relief before freezing again.  

_Kili....where's Kili?!_

"KILI!!" he called out as he scrambled to his feet and made his way up from the ditch he had fallen to. "KILI!!" he called out again before hearing more pained howling as well as shouts. No...this wasn't happening. This was all a bad dream.  

His Tookish side promptly slapped him and yelled at him to run, knowing full well that the howls would soon attract the other wolves it was with. Agreeing unquestionably to that side for a change, he ran towards the sound as his heart started to pound heavily against his chest. His mind was being very unhelpful as he was sorely reminded of how he had found Kili. Terrified, bruised and nearly broken. He tried to push these memories away as he ran and called for his son. He couldn't lose him now.  

The sounds disappeared and Bilbo paused.  

"KILI?" he called out and waited but no answer came. His blood felt like it turned into ice.  

"KILI!!!"  

No. Not Kili. Not his little boy. He had lost his mother to wolves and he would be damned if they took his son away from him as well.  

"KILI!!" his voice was desperate now as he shouted at the top of his lungs. Soon, he saw the wolf, sprawled over and below it a hand was sticking out and not far from the hand was a bow. The hand was hauntingly still. Bilbo shook his head and ran closer before pushing and heaving to get the wolf out of the way. "Kili..." he said quietly as he finally saw his son.  

Kili's hair was a mess and there were small cuts at the side of his head that were bleeding profusely. His eyes were closed and Bilbo fought back the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "D-don't you dare die on me, young man," he said with the best reprimanding tone he could muster.  

"If you die, I swear I'll get you back so I can kill you again!" he said desperately as he placed a hand on his son's cheek. There was no response and Bilbo started to shake. "Kili...Kili please..." he said as he realized that there was no rising and falling of the boy's chest. "Kili...." he called out.  

"KILI!!" he all but shouted before fisting his hand and bringing it down hard on his son's chest.  

The reaction was instantaneous as Kili's eyes flew open and he started coughing. Bilbo stared at him with wide eyes and at the back of his mind, the Baggins and the Took side hugged each other in relief.  

"I feel like a mess..." Kili groaned.  

"You look like a mess," Bilbo admitted with a chuckle before slowly helping him up. Kili winced as he got to his feet and glanced down at his hand. "I think that's broken...." he muttered.  

"Well that's your fault," Bilbo said pointedly before he picked up Kili's bow before taking the younger's uninjured arm and wrapping it around his shoulders to support him. "You are very much grounded young man," he reprimanded, his voice shaking.  

Kili paused and noticed this before looking down in shame. "I'm sorry Father...I didn't mean to--" 

"What you did was reckless and foolish!" Bilbo cut off as they walked on, trying to go as fast as they could because the rain had started to fall harder now. "You had no regard for your own safety and didn't think on your actions before doing them. I thought I taught you better than that!" he continued. "You could have been permanently injured! You could have lost that arm instead of just breaking it!!" he near shouted now.  

"Don't you understand Kili?! You could have died!!"  

Kili winced at the tone, he had never heard his father so angry before.  

"I could have lost you..."  

It was then - _at the tone of Bilbo's shaking and broken voice_ \- did Kili realize the gravity of what had just happened. Bilbo wasn't afraid of him getting hurt, Bilbo was afraid of losing him completely. His father who had raised him and loved him despite not being a Hobbit. His father that had lovingly taken care of him when he could have just given him away. His father...his family.  

Kili smiled at the thought and kept quiet as they headed back to Bag End where he was gently deposited on the dining room chair as Bilbo bustled around to get whatever he could so they could fix that arm. Kili, however, had other ideas as he got to his feet and walked up to his father before wrapping his uninjured arm around him.  

Bilbo stilled. "What are you doing? You shouldn't move around that much." 

"I'm sorry," Kili said quietly. "I didn't mean to worry you," he added sincerely. "I was reckless and foolish, yes but...." he paused and took a breath, Bilbo felt himself holding his. He had enough of this apologizing, however, so once again he cut the boy off. 

"Yes but reckless and foolish as you are, you're still my son," Bilbo told him. "And you will always be my foolish, reckless and silly little boy who would come home caked in mud while tracking dirt everywhere," he said fondly as he patted Kili's arm.  

"I...get into trouble a lot, don't I?" Kili asked with a chuckle.  

"Yes. So much trouble that I swear my heart will stop beating out of horror every single time you get hurt," Bilbo said sternly and Kili stilled. "But even if you do get into trouble at least once a day, I still love you regardless," he finished with a smile and he felt Kili relax.  

Yes, no matter how big Kili gets or how reckless he is, nor no matter how many years he knocks out of Bilbo's life because of pure concern and worry, Kili will always be Bilbo's little boy.  

And no one can change that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated in the previous chapter. Gandalf arrives in chapter 3.


	3. A Grey Outlook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Bilbo reminisces, a potential threat to their peaceful lives appear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than the first two but I believe it's a good transition.

Years had already passed ever since Kili had been taken in by Bilbo. Time moved by quickly, Bilbo had to admit, and now Kili was a strapping young dwarf that made Hobbit girls - _and some boys his Tookish side helpfully added much to his dismay-_  swoon as soon as he had cared to walk across, in front of even behind them. Bilbo was a proud father at that. Kili's cousins on the Tookish side had mixed reactions at this. While some took to teasing him some became overprotective, one of which was Ferdinand Took.   

The two had become nearly inseparable now that they're in their  _-by Hobbit standards, in Kili's case-_  teenagers. Among all of the cousins, those two had bonded the most especially since Ferdinand had given Kili his first ever bow. The two took any excuse to be together ranging from Archery and training to something as silly as exchanging books and even stories. Nonetheless, Bilbo was satisfied and happy by this outcome. Kili needed the support sometimes aside from him especially when it came to something that easily embarrassed Kili....like the presence of his growing beard.  

 

At first, Kili had felt very awkward because unlike all the Hobbits around them, he had started growing a beard. Bilbo genuinely did not know what to do at that and what to say most of all since he had never grew a beard himself. Thankfully, this was put in order after some Rangers had come to pass by the Shire to check on the peaceful little Hobbits. Kili had asked and they taught him a few things to which Kili was genuinely grateful for. It wasn't that he already tried what he had learned since his stubble - _As his Baggins side corrected_ \- was still on the verge of growing, but knowing a few things was always good. 

 

Little did Bilbo knew that his fretting over Kili's anxiety and awkwardness turned out to be useless. 

 

Soon enough, the awkwardness turned into something that Bilbo couldn't quite fathom. The closest term, perhaps, would be smugness, as Kili soon discovered that the rugged image had earned him the attention of many Hobbits in Hobbiton. Often times, they would try to gain his favor and attention and these little things would cause Kili to come home with a large smile on his face and gifts for his father as he never really kept any for his own. Not that Bilbo minded really but really did feel a bit sorry for the ones giving Kili things. Often times he would find himself stashing them away in a cabinet that was now proving to be smaller than he had originally though. 

 

If only they gave him perishable things instead...

 

Kili took it all in stride, assuring Bilbo time and time again that he wasn't looking for anyone and he isn't interested in anything beyond what he and Ferdinand do. Which wasn't much really since it was all battle-play but Kili insisted that it was called  _training._  


 

Another thing that had come as a surprise for Bilbo was when the Rangers had mentioned that Dwarves aged differently than Hobbits. Bilbo had expected that Kili would be younger than him regardless and found his Baggins side fainting and Tookish side staring when the Rangers had made the assessment that Kili was older than he is. It would seem that what would be considered young for Dwarves could already be considered adulthood for Hobbits. It took some time to recover from that but when he realized that regardless of race, Kili acted more Hobbit than Dwarf - _at least that's what he supposed since he hadn't really met other dwarves in his life so far aside from Kili-_  so he shall be keeping Hobbit standards even if he had to whack Kili with a wooden spoon every single time he puts a toe out of the line. 

 

Oh yes, Kili learned to fear that wooden spoon. More so whenever he knew that it was going to be brandished at him. 

 

"Father....I think we're out of strawberry jam." 

 

Like now, Bilbo suspects, as he looked up from reading his book and glanced behind the armchair he had settled down in for a while now. 

 

"Didn't I just make a whole jar full yesterday?" he asked as he lowered his pipe. 

 

Kili emerged from the kitchen with that smile on his face that said that he had done  _something_  again that would most probably cause Bilbo to get the wooden spoon that rested just above the fire place as of the moment. 

 

"Kili....." 

 

The smile on his son's face then faltered and Bilbo made a gesture that suggested he was going to get up to get the spoon. Kili paled.

 

"I'll go to the market right now!" Kili said hurriedly as he hurried to the door and slipped on his shoes before running like wolves were after him to the door leading outside. Bilbo inwardly wondered how one boy could finish a jar full of jam. Then again, he had learned long ago that he shouldn't really question Kili's appetite for sweetened things. 

 

Bilbo sighed. Older than him or not, Kili still acts like a child. Shaking his head, he put down his book and looked outside. It was still rather early and Kili would most probably be back by the time second breakfast was due so he would just have to find something to preoccupy himself for the meantime. After all, the food was already prepared and by the way that Kili had been acting earlier it has also been spotted already and half consumed at the very least

 

The sunshine coming from the window looked really inviting. It would be nice to go out and feels the sun's rays for a little while. 

 

So, with another nod of his head, he got up and walked outside and took his pipe as he did. Settling on a bench that he and Kili had placed outside just by the gate of their home, Bilbo let out a sigh of comfort and he leaned back, closing his eyes. 

 

He then reminisce on the days when Kili was a lot smaller than he is now and had put most of his inherited pottery in their graves. He had to admit, he was furious at Kili when he had seen the broken pieces of the floor but his anger disappeared when he had seen the little dwarf in his room trying to put a pot back together with paste as he sniffled and wiped a tear out of his eyes. He had merely sighed that day and had eventually given in and helped Kili to put them back together. 

 

Yes, he did reprimand the dwarfling but at the same time praised him for trying to think of a way to fix what he had done wrong. They fixed what they could and eventually threw out what they couldn't and when they were burying the broken pieces under the soil did Kili come clean about using his bow in the house when he knew he shouldn't. 

 

He was happily taking in the sun's rays and musing when he noticed a shadow blocking his vision. 

 

Slowly, he opened his eyes and raised a brow at the rather tall looking man  _-at least he thought he was a man. He was certainly to tall to be a Hobbit and looked too rugged to be an elf-_  in front of him. This man was wearing a rather old and gray cloak. His hand clutched on to a walking stick that oddly didn't look like an ordinary stick and a tall blue hat adorned his head. 

 

"Good Morning," Bilbo greeted carefully. 

 

"What do you mean?" the man asked. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether i like it or not; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

 

Bilbo blinked in confusion at this. What in the world was this old man talking about? 

 

"All of the above, I suppose?" he said carefully. 

 

The man looked at him  _-more of stare at him really, his Tookish side supplied as his Baggins side fidgeted in discomfort at this.-_  


"I'm sorry but do I know you?" he asked finally. 

 

The man's brows furrowed in obvious irritated confusion. "Why yes, Bilbo Baggins. You know me and you know my name but it seems that you have completely forgotten that I belong to it!" he exclaimed and Bilbo shrunk along with his Tookish and Baggins side. "I'm GANDALF!!" 

 

Bilbo took a moment before his eyes lit up in recognition. "Gandalf? The man that made the most amazing fireworks," he commented. "I must say, those are most impressive!" he added before furrowing his brows as well. Now what would a wizard  _-as his mind had now helpfully supplied-_  want with him? 

 

"I am pleased to find that you have remembered something about me," The wizard said though he didn't sound pleased at all. "You see, Master Baggins, I have come here to take you on an adventure. I'm sure your grandafther and Belladona Took would have loved the opportunity but alas, it is only you who I have come across that is fit enough to go with me."

 

Alarm bells went off in Bilbo's head as flashes of the wolf attack with Kili appeared in his mind. That was one little  _adventure_  that made him quite be apprehensive of the word alone. 

 

"No!" he exclaimed suddenly. "No! I will not have any of that!" he said as he got to his feet hurriedly. "If you want to take someone on an adventure, I suggest you look over the ri---"

 

"Father? Is everything alright?"

 

Bilbo froze. Slowly he turned his attention to his young dwarfling peeking out from behind Gandalf. 

 

"Kili!" he exclaimed as he hurriedly reached out past Gandalf to pull Kili through the gate. 

 

Gandalf looked at the boy with his furrowed brows, as if thinking deeply. "That boy...you say he is your son?" he asked carefully as he studied Kili's face. "You say his name is--" 

 

"I do not merely say he is my son. In fact, he IS my son so if you could kindly go on and find other....other Hobbits to take with you on your adventure, I'll be going on with my day," Bilbo said hurriedly, dragging Kili to the door. He didn't know why but he just had the urge to take Kili away from the curious gaze of the old wizard as soon as he could. For the first time in a while he felt fear grip his heart.

 

Kili looked at him with a confused expression but Bilbo will not give any explanation not until Kili was inside. He practically shoved Kili inside and cleared his throat before looking at Gandalf once again. "I'm sure you'll find other Hobbits that are perfect for your little adventure, Gandalf. Good Morning," he said curtly before closing the door behind him as he went in. 

 

* * *

Gandalf stared at Bilbo before frowning. 

 

"No, Master Baggins," he said lowly. "I think you are, in fact, the perfect candidate to bring with me to this adventure," he said before walking up to the door to peer inside long enough to see Bilbo telling the young dwarf something before taking the jar of jam in his hands. 

 

With a heavy sigh, he lowered his staff on the door and scratched out a mark before turning around and walked down the path. 

 

"The perfect one indeed..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I finish the next chapter by tomorrow. This one actually had a lot of revisions until I was satisfied. 
> 
> The dwarves come in the next chapter.


	4. The Company of Dwarves

Bilbo's nerves didn't calm down at all as their day went on. He was on the edge after what had happened that morning and to be honest he didn't even know what he was expecting. He worried if Gandalf had recognized Kili and what would happen now. Inwardly he was having a debate with himself about what had happened. His Tookish side had been pushing him to lock the doors and windows, pull down the blinds and turn out the lights. His Baggins side, however, was scolding him about being selfish. After all, there is still a lot about Kili that they do not know and perhaps Gandalf could shed some light.....well...could have...

Bilbo sighed. It was too late for that now. Gandalf had already left and if he knew anything about Kili, the information that he had already disappeared with him. 

"Father, are you just going to sigh at the fish all night?" Kili asked from beside him. "You've been holding the lemon slice over it for a while now," he added. 

He had? Well that was a surprise. He didn't even know he had started with the lemon slice. 

"Don't mind me, Kili, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

Before Bilbo had the chance to answer there was a knock on the door. 

"Who could that be?" Kili wondered before moving to get up but before he got off his chair, Bilbo stopped him. 

"Stay here," Bilbo said carefully before getting up and walked over to the door. He took a breath before reaching for the doorknob, fully aware that Kili was watching him from the kitchen doorway. Slowly, he opened the door. 

"Yes, how may I---?" And he suddenly shut the door. "Kili, take your dinner and go to your room." 

"Wait. What--"

"NOW, Kili," Bilbo said sternly, leaving no room for argument. 

Kili looked at him with a confused expression but followed nonetheless. Taking his plate and his mug, Kili got up and walked to his bedroom, giving Bilbo an inquisitive expression before pushing the door open and closed with his foot. 

Once he was sure that Kili was in his room -with his Baggins side berating him all the way- he opened the door. "Sorry about that. This door has some problems," he said as a poor explanation. "Can I help you?" He then took the moment to stare at the Dwarf that was on his doorstep. He assessed him carefully. Full beard and bald head, Bilbo instantly visualized Kili looking like that but miserably failed. 

"Dwalin. At your service," the dwarf said with a bow after eying Bilbo suspiciously. 

"Bilbo Baggins, at yours," Bilbo said awkwardly as he bowed as well. What in the world was going on?

"Are the others here yet?" Dwalin asked. 

"Others?" Bilbo asked in confusion, following Dwalin into the kitchen and watched in slight mortification as the dwarf proceeded to sit in front of his untouched food. He wanted to yell at Dwalin and tell him that he wasn't expecting anyone but the thought of Kili coming out to check on him if he did that weighed down in his mind and he settled with forlornly watching Dwalin finish off his meal. 

Another knock on the door was heard moments later and Bilbo got up again, inwardly groaning and dreading who it would be this time. Opening the door, he was given a familiar greeting. 

"Balin, at your service," an elderly dwarf said before coming in. Before Bilbo could ask anything, the dwarf named Balin spotted Dwalin and walked over to him. Bilbo could only watch in amazement as the two greeted each other with a headbutt. 

'This can't be happening....'

Bilbo wished it was all a dream as he walked off and followed the two into his pantry as they proceeded to criticize his food. He listened until he got frustrated and started ranting on his own about the manners that should be shown when people arrive in a home that clearly didn't expect them. 

He was cut off however, when he heard the door open. 

His Tookish side rolled up it's sleeves, now who in the world would have the gall to just open a door to a home he wasn't invited into. Honestly, what was it with dwarfs and their lack of manners? At least he had taught Kili the finer points of-- of....

Oh no. 

He watched in horror as Kili stood in front of the door he had just opened, staring at the newcomer. The newcomer -a blond dwarf- stared back at Kili and looked as if he saw a ghost. 

"F-fili..." the dwarf introduced, looking quite shaken. "At your ser--"

At this, Bilbo rushed forward without warning and grabbed Kili by the arm. "Didn't I tell you to stay in your room?"

"Yes, but Father he--"

"I'll take care of our guests. You go to your room," Bilbo told him in a firm tone. 

Kili glanced back at the blond that was staring at him before carefully nodding and headed to his room. 

"Yes, Master Dwarf?" Bilbo asked, slightly out of breath.

The blond dwarf stared at him for a while and opened his mouth to speak when Dwalin had interrupted. 

"FILI!" the older dwarf called out happily. 

At this, Fili smiled. "Master Dwalin!" 

Bilbo could sigh in relief as he watched Fili walk off to join the other two. That was too close for comfort. His Tookish side was now telling him to throw all the dwarves out while his Baggins side continued to scold him since there was undeniable connection between Fili and Kili....especially in their names. 

Before Bilbo could continue in his little inner conflict as his two sides started rounding on one another, there was another knock on the door.   
Kili leaned on the door. This was all getting too strange for him. Just this afternoon when he had come from the market area, he had seen the most strangest man that had ever arrived in Hobbiton ever since he could ever remember. 

And to top it all off, his father had been acting very very strange. First he had been dragged inside and now he was being sent to his room. 

Well, he'd understand the latter since there WAS a barrage of dwarves suddenly arriving in their small home. Then again, that on it's own struck something in Kili that told him to get out of his room and investigate. It couldn't hurt, right? After all, he was in his little room in their humble house. And with everything going on outside, he highly doubted that his father would miss him or see him there. What could possibly go wrong?

And with that he went on outside. The first thing he realized was the fact that there was more people there compared to when he was first shunned away in his room. Well, that was interesting. 

Another thing he had noticed was that there was a song going on in the kitchen. It was a cheery song...something about the things his father hates and oh there are a LOT of those, he could get a say in things. Before he could reach the kitchen, however, the song ended and there was silence as a knock on the door was heard. Thinking nothing of it, he walked over and opened the door. 

"Good Evening," he greeted before actually seeing who was there. On the other side of the door was a gruff looking dwarf that looked like he had hair all over the place. Kili felt a shudder of dread roll down his back as they made eye contact. 

"Y-yes?" he asked but before the other could answer, Bilbo came barreling in, pushing Kili away. 

"To your room!"

"B-but I--"

"I said: TO YOUR ROOM!!" 

Kili has never really heard his father this angry ever since that time he was attacked by a wild wolf a few years ago. Keeping his mouth shut, he shuffled off back to his room, closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is incomplete but I'm totally stuck. 
> 
> The next chapter will be a different approach as I will be tackling Fili and Thorin's point of view in all of this.


End file.
